We Found Love In A Hopeless Place
by Viva La Vienna
Summary: Ted and Laura are getting married, which can only mean one thing; she needs a replacement. What happens aboard the Clipper Majestic when the chosen girl is none other than Claire Vanderway? The adventures are just beginning for this Pan Am airplane.
1. I've Just Seen A Face

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Pan Am ... I'm just in love with it. Nor do I own the song I've Just Seen A Face by The Beatles.

**Summary:** Ted and Laura are getting married, which can only mean one thing; she needs a replacement. What happens aboard the Clipper Majestic when the chosen girl is none other than Claire Vanderway? Will Dean's unwarrented attraction to her fade away or has he actually begun to fall for his right hand man's younger sister?

**A/N:** I'm legitimately excited to write this story. I even have ideas for a sequel already! But I really hope you enjoy this story as much as I love writing it. Claire is portrayed by Lacey Chabert. Please let me know what you think of it!

**We Found Love In A Hopeless Place**

Chapter One: I've Just Seen A Face

_I've just seen a face,_  
><em>I can't forget the time or place<em>  
><em>That we'd just met, she's just the girl for me<em>  
><em>And I want all the world to see we've met<em>

It was a warm, sunny spring day in New York on April 20, 1964. US President Lyndon Johnson was in the state that day to make an announcement regards to the production of nuclear weapons. Captain Dean Lowrey was leaning against the counter in the Pan Am headquarters reading about the news.

"Excuse me, I have a question for you," Dean glanced up from the newspaper and took notice of a petite girl, a tad bit taller than Maggie's 5'1", standing in front of him.

"Hello there, ma'am. What can I do for you?" Dean folded the newspaper back up and tucked it under his arm as he flashed his pearly white smile towards her and received one in return.

"You're the captain of the Clipper Majestic right? The lady over there said you were," she glanced over her shoulder at the secretary standing at the desk, "I'm just hoping she wasn't mistaken and I'm not making a fool out of myself," she gave a small chuckle as she shifted nervously. She stood tall, showing confidence but he could tell that she was uneasy. It was most likely from the commotion of the busy workplace around them.

He tilted his head slightly. He had a peculiar interest in the girl. He wanted to know who she was, where she came from, and why she was asking for him. "Why yes, that is correct. I am the Captain," Dean proudly stated. A little over a year ago, he had been promoted to captain and taken his plane, the Clipper Majestic, out for its maiden voyage to London.

She sighed in relief. He took the moment to study her closer. She had long, slightly curled brown hair with hazel eyes that had more of a brown hue to them than green. Her bronzed skin was flawless, her jaw line and bone structure completely delicate. She was wearing a blue and black A-Line polka dotted dress with a black belt cinching the waist accompanied by short onyx gloves and ballet flats.

"Not to be rude, but you are …" his voice trailed off, waiting for her to complete his sentence.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, sticking out her hand, "now that's incredibly rude of me. I'm Claire."

He reached out to shake it and raised an eyebrow at her, "Claire?"

"Yes Claire," she said sternly as released her hand from the shake and put in back down to her side. "Anyway, I was wondering if you could please point me to the direction of your first officer, Ted … Ted Vanderway."

His shoulders slumped slightly. Of course she was looking for Ted. Marginally dejected, he shook his head no. He let out a sigh. "Haven't seen him all day. Why do you need him, may I ask?"

"Not that it's any of your business, we have a lunch date. If you see him, please let him know that I'm looking for him. Thank you," she smiled through her fiery attitude before walking gracefully away.

"Yeah, of course. It's no problem," Dean said lightly into thin air as he watched her stride down the hallway, curls bouncing with each step she took. He let out a smirk; Claire reminded him of a sweeter version of Maggie.

"Ted!" she exclaimed loudly as the first officer rounded the corner almost slamming into her.

"Claire!" he picked the girl up into a tight hug and set her down before she linked her arm with him and smiled up at him. The two turned and disappeared beyond the corner.

Dean set the paper down on counter and darted to look for his blonde stewardess, Laura Cameron. "Laura, Laaaauraaa," his voice echoed down the hallway, causing everyone to turn their attention towards him.

"Here," she shouted and he noticed his girls standing together in a circle. Her sister Kate Cameron, Maggie Smith, and Colette Valois stood at her side as they turned to face him.

"Can I talk to you for a second, in private?" he questioned and her eyes glistened with curiosity.

"Of course," she replied without hesistation. "Excuse us ladies," she followed him a few steps away from the group. "What is it Dean?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, but I think your boyfriend is seeing another girl," Laura looked puzzled for a moment before Dean continued. "A woman, maybe 22, just stopped by looking for him for a lunch date. She had long brown hair."

Laura erupted in laughter. "Claire?" she questioned.

"Yes. What is so funny about that? Aren't you threatened by the fact that even though you and Ted have been dating for a year, he's still going out to lunch with other women? Or do you trust him that much?" Dean was honestly confused. He knew it wasn't his business and didn't mean to pry, but he was just looking out for Laura's best interest.

"Me? I'm not threatened by my fiancés little sister," she patted his shoulder and kept smiling. "But thank you for keeping an eye out for me."

"Alright, now I feel stupid. Of course she's his little sister, he's mentioned her so many times but has never told me her name. Wait … did you say fiancé?" he paused realizing what this meant.

"Yes … this is my last week with Pan Am as a stewardess. I accomplished my goal. I saw the world, and I saw it with the man who means it to me. What more could I ask for? He proposed when we were in Florence. Claire's my replacement, I'm showing her the ropes this week. She just graduated a few weeks ago, I say it's fate," Laura took off her glove to reveal a diamond engagement ring.

"I'm certainly gonna miss you Laura. I wish you and Ted the best of luck," he said sincerely.

"I'll still be a Pan Am wife, you'll see me around." The girls they abandoned started to look impatient, motioning for Laura to rejoin them.

"So … sister you say?" Dean's eye brows rose and Laura's face grew serious.

"Dean, must we bring up your tryst with Ginny? Or fling with Colette? Not to mention the numerous girls you've used to try and get over Bridget. Claire Vanderway is off limits to you … consider her RESTRICTED air space," Laura bluntly said and turned to strut back over to her friends.

"Hey! That's my line," Kate said in a jokingly shocked manner. But Dean could tell Laura wasn't joking; not one little bit.

"When's our next flight?" he winked towards the group and they all shook their heads as they sauntered out of the building for a fun day of girl activities.

"You know, when I said that it didn't stop you and Ted," Kate told her sister as they walked into the breezy streets of New York.

"I know," Laura replied, "that's what scares me."

_I have never known  
>The likes of this, I've been alone<br>And I have missed things and kept out of sight  
>But other girls weren't quite like this<br>_


	2. Fear

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Pan Am ... I'm just in love with it. Nor do I own the song Fear by Sarah McLachlan.

**Summary:** Ted and Laura are getting married, which can only mean one thing; she needs a replacement. What happens aboard the Clipper Majestic when the chosen girl is none other than Claire Vanderway? Will Dean's unwarranted attraction to her fade away or has he actually begun to fall for his right hand man's younger sister?

**A/N:** Sorry this took a bit longer than I expected. But never the less, here is chapter two! I hope you enjoy and if you get a chance let me know what you think!

**We Found Love In A Hopeless Place**

Chapter Two: Fear

_Morning smiles,  
>like the face of a newborn child,<br>innocently unknowing_

"Ted dear, have you given any more thoughts to the wedding party?" Laura asked as she grabbed her Pan Am bag resting on the kitchen table. Her fiancé joined her in the living while adjusting his tie.

"Eh … yeah, I have. Are you ready to go? We don't want to be late," he smiled down at the beauty standing directly in front of him. He leaned over kissed her forehead, wondering how on Earth he had gotten so lucky as to land Laura Cameron.

"Yeah, let me just grab my gloves," she headed back to their bedroom. Her mother was not a fan of their cohabitation before marriage but for once Laura was sure to be in charge of her own life. She was genuinely happy and nothing at all was going to ruin that.

She sauntered back into the kitchen as Ted pulled on his jacket. "I can't believe this is your last week as a Pan Am stewardess," he said slightly deflated.

"Neither can I," for a moment, her expression mirrored sadness but was quickly replaced with a smile. "Think of the bright side, this is my last month as Miss Cameron. Soon I shall be Mrs. Vanderway."

Ted grinned from ear to ear; he was truly one blessed man. "I love the sound of that my dear," he placed a loving kiss on her lips before shooing her playfully out the door.

"Ted!" she giggled as they made their way down to the car, hand in hand.

x

"Oh no, oh no, oh noooo," Claire frantically retraced her steps, looking for her lost gloves. This was not the way to begin your first day as a Pan Am stewardess. Her eyes darted back and forth across every surface that she has been around that morning.

"Excuse me miss, are you looking for these?" she turned around quickly when a familiar man's voice jarred her from her search. She turned around to find her blonde haired, blue eyed captain smiling as he held up her gloves.

She took in a deep breath and followed with a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much," she said as she reached out and took the gloves from his hand. "Also, I don't do this often but I wanted to apologize for yesterday if I seemed a little rude. I was clearly overwhelmed."

Dean nodded his head a little. "I'll forgive you, I suppose. Besides, I never properly introduced myself. Dean Lowrey," he extended his hand out and shook her small hand.

"Claire Vanderway," he managed to get a small smile from the girl as she put on her gloves after releasing the grip from the handshake.

"Nervous about your first flight?" he asked as they headed towards boarding for the Clipper Majestic. Claire stopped dead in her tracks.

"Should I be? Or are you capable of being a good captain and flying your plane without trouble," she rose her eyebrows before leaving Dean standing there with his mouth slightly agape.

"Well aren't you just a ball of sunshine," he muttered before following her out to the plane.

x

"It's okay to be nervous," Kate told Claire before they started to board the passengers. The girls had just finished the final touches and were prepared to welcome their guests.

"Just smile through it," Laura offered familiar advice with a smile. They all lined up and the first passenger climbed aboard.

"Good morning, thank you for flying Pan Am," Kate led. It took about an hour for all the passengers to get settled and prepare for takeoff to Croatia. Claire was shadowing Laura who was assigned to first class that day. Before she could head back to begin her first flight as a stewardess, Colette pulled her aside.

"Can I please have a moment with you?" she asked, her French accent thick. Claire nodded, curious as to what her fellow coworker had to say. "I saw you with Dean this morning. The man is a charmer but be warned that you should stay away from him. He's a ladies' man and that will never change."

Claire gathered that someone still had bitter feelings after a break up of some sorts but she quickly laughed it off. "Colette, thank you for being concerned but I can assure you that the last thing on my mind is Dean," Colette nodded back before heading back to work with Kate.

"Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain Dean Lowrey speaking. We are preparing for takeoff so please buckle in and enjoy your trip. Thank you for flying Pan Am," Dean hung up the phone and looked over at his right hand man.

"So when is the wedding?" he asked, making conversation while flipping the switches to start the plane's engines.

"May 23rd," Ted replied quickly before jotting down some notes into the log book.

The girls buckled in as the plane begin to ascend. As soon as it reached cruising altitude, they took off their belts and began to work. Claire was a hit among the passengers, never failing to make someone smile and was quick with her services and help.

The glasses begin to shake; at first it was barely noticeable but then the whole plan jolted causing a few of the girls to fall over or hold on to something. They quickly recovered.

"Ladies and gentleman, we seem to be experiencing some turbulence. If you could please remain in your seats and buckle in safely, we will let you know when it's safe to resume your activities. Thank you," Kate said as she hurried towards the cockpit.

"What's happening?" Sanjeev anxiously asked the pilot and first officer and the two exchanged worried glances.

"Something's wrong with one of the engines," Ted worriedly said as Kate burst into the area.

"Please tell me what's going on, this isn't normal turbulence," Kate said when there was a small explosion, shaking the plane once more.

"Our left engine just blew," Ted stated. "I guess this would be a bad time to ask you to be the best man, huh?"

Dean turned to face him and Kate shook her head. "Yes, it is really bad time Ted. I'll alert the girls, what should I tell the passengers?" she said, trying to hide the panic in her voice.

Claire found her way to the cockpit as well, "Can someone please explain why our engine is on fire? I closed the passenger's windows on that side but they're starting to panic."

At that point in time, Dean was positive that the passengers were not the only one who was panicking. He was right there with everyone but had to regain his composure quickly. "Don't worry everyone, I've got this."

_But I fear,  
>I have nothing to give,<br>I have so much to lose_


End file.
